Goodbye, Dear Friend
by Lady Axivider
Summary: Whomever is left that can be called a friend or ally, it is not so. This generation has known nothing but conflict. So, while the Great Ninja War has concluded, the internal war has yet to erupt.
Leisure had overtaken her as she was walking. Slow, methodical footsteps that, if one listened closely enough, would sound suspiciously like an ancient drum beat. Her entire world was encased in white snow, from the blankets that gracefully covered empty branches to the soft crunching beneath her feet. And if one were so inclined, like the secretive Uchiha Sasuke, one would notice her subtly reddening expression and widened white eyes.

"Took you long enough." He added his signature "tch" to the end, provoking a flinch from her soft form. "You should have noticed me earlier. What if I had been an intruder?" He stared at her with his enraged red eyes, but she preferred to timidly stare at the ground, finding familiarity in its bleak whiteness.

"Too much stress will make the baby stress," she answered him, bell-like tone and all, and he quickly withdrew his irritation.

His eyes softened, fading into their inky black origin. Hinata took a moment to study his defined features. She admired his pale skin, practically equalling her own paper white. Hinata found herself drowning in his jawline, the way his yukata swung open towards the top of his chest, and the tousled jet black hair that sat atop his head. He was perfection - a god amongst men.

Muttering something along the lines of Naruto returning soon, Uchiha Sasuke inched towards the heavily pregnant Hyuga. He felt no need to kiss her or to even touch her, really, but felt inclined to bend over a little and press foreheads. It was strange, as Hinata knew nothing other than his closeness, since he felt so far away. Once again muttering into her oddly colored hair, he repeated his previous point of Naruto returning soon. He apparently did not want Naruto even sense him on Hinata.

"And would you be more cautious next time, Hinata-san?" The irritation crept back into his eyes, but she felt the message more than anything. She whispered and nodded in affirmation, but he had already disappeared, leaving behind smoke and the warm smell of firewood.

Hinata's morning then went back to its regular routine. Taking longer, but no less graceful, strides across the snow, she tiptoed her way back into the house. After entering through the sliding door, Hinata found herself stumped as to what she could now accomplish, and felt a nagging need to visit Neji. Perhaps she sought his advice, not that he could actually provide any, but it was comfortable to talk to him. What was left of him, anyways.

Neji had been fatally wounded during the war, saving both her and Naruto. So, she secretly wished that he roamed the halls in his afterlife, continuing to take care of his favorite (and only) little cousins. With the crunching of snow being replaced by the slight groan of ancient Japanese tatami mats, Hinata once again fell into the slow drum beat. Her body began reacting to the better, warmer conditions inside the protection of the house, and soon Hinata found herself in the small memorial.

There lay five photos in three separate groups near the wall, and Hinata found herself tearing at the sight. It was always too much when she walked into this particular section of the house. She had come to call it the Hyuga Memorial, as it depicted only Hyugas for the moment. On the left side, decorated in the Head Officer white glazed Hyuga emblem, sat the photo of her mother and father as a young married couple. It was surrounded by lilies, which were shipped in from Suna. The picture in the middle was a smiling Neji Hyuga as he proudly puffed out his chest at his Jounin graduation. The last couple Hinata had known very little, but understood that they were life saving to her; her aunt and uncle at their wedding. They were Neji's parents, and his father happened to be identical to her own, making the strain in her chest a little tighter.

Deciding she had prayed enough, Hinata lit another incense stick and left the room swiftly. The baby never liked the smell of incense. He kicked and fussed and made it known that incense was irritating.

Once out in the hallway, she heard distant laughter. There were visitors today from Sunagakure. Afterall, Hinata's husband is the Hokage.

As she grew closer, her steps becoming more and more labored as the irritated child within her began fussing again, Hinata felt comforted. Her husband was home, which meant that he was finally with her and was going to stay with her for a little. Hinata placed her hand to open the sliding door that led to the entertaining room, but found that it opened before she had reached it.

"Shikamaru-san! Kazekage-san! Its nice to see you again," her hostess voice flowing easily from her lips. As fluidly as she could, Hinata maneuvered herself to sit next to Naruto, who had known she was coming and planned to leave the door open.

The exchange of pleasantries was going well until Hinata felt a very sudden sharp kick and a liquid that seeped from between her legs.

Nearly ten hours later and practically a whole squad of medical nin, Hinata successfully delivered her baby boy into the world.

Her baby boy with oddly colored hair and inky black eyes.


End file.
